July 27, 2015

I must admit that when Amy Winehouse broke out onto the music scene in 2007, I was going through my own sh*tstorm so to speak, healthwise. I was blogging up a storm, but my nerve damage/abdomen tear never seemed to give me a minute of peace. And this very painful injury cost me my dream gig (Duran Duran) so I wasn't following the music scene as close at the time because the psychological pain was equally a drag.

I did hear some of Amy's music and read a few stories about her partying ways, but I wasn't inclined to delve any deeper. Fortunately, the new documentary by Asif Kapadia about her brief life via tons of real life footage is bold, beautiful, sad and tragic. I've lived a musician's life and I know all about the drug and alcohol problems that percolate around musicians and the like, but even with that knowledge, I'd lie if I said I didn't shed a tear over her demise or yell at the movie screen when her father told her she didn't need to Go To Rehab, even if that song propelled her into stardom. Her talent was so massive, she would have broke out some other way.

I don't agree with Peter Bradshaw's title (Amy Winehouse,a harrowing account of Winehouse's tragic destiny) that refers to her death as destiny because with a little help from her friends or family, she may still be with us today. Ultimately we are all responsible for our lives, but there are times when a careful word or thoughtful action from somebody else can make all the difference in the world.

I won't get into the psyche of Amy, but I will say I was surprised of my visceral reaction to her dad, when she was sinking in the quicksand of addiction and her father told interviewers that it was up to her to get it together. He compounded her nightmare later in her career saying she had a responsibility to go out on tour even as her flesh was melting away from her body right in front of his eyes.

Her father was very upset by Asif 's film so he's planning a rebuttal of sorts.

The Grammy-winning singer’s father, Mitch Winehouse, and her former fiance, Reg Traviss, are reportedly planning their own documentary to address issues raised in Kapadia’s film Amy. According to the Mirror, a source said: “Mitch and Reg are talking about doing something to correct all the wrongs and omissions in the new film. Their own take on Amy’s life is being discussed.”

The documentary showcases her marvelous talent throughout with live performances from when she was 14 years old, through her final appearances on stage. She was a young girl with a powerful Billie Holiday voice and she was able to take her jazz roots and crossover into the mainstream pop culture with ease.

I feel guilty now that I didn't follow her music more closely and I'll always be amazed by the talent that flowed from her soul.

She is missed.

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